Another step on the journey
In May of 2007 I remember quickly moving from Nicaragua back to Cincinnati, Ohio where I graduated from Xavier University one week later. Just four days after graduation I found myself sitting in Tim Cook’s Philosophy of Education course at Creighton University. That whirlwind craziness that drew me to the Magis program and missioned me to teach at Red Cloud Indian School continued for the rest of my two years. When I walked across the stage at the Qwest Center on May 16th it was hard to believe that the two years had already drawn to a close. At the same time, just as teaching continued as I returned to my classroom that following Monday, the experience of Magis, as long as it continues to affect who I am and how I live my life, cannot have a real conclusion date.
While the way in which Magis continues in my life might seem obvious in some sense as I work as the Magis intern for the month of June, the impact is much deeper than that. Six of the seven teachers who entered my cohort came having studied something other than education for our undergraduate coursework. Nonetheless, all seven us were for some reason drawn to this program which seeks to develop Catholic educators. That emphasis of the Magis program on fostering and developing individuals to serve in Catholic education is far more than just a slogan as I believe our actions far more than our words can speak to. At the end of these two years four of the teachers will be staying in Catholic education even though their postgraduate degrees from Creighton University would surely qualify them to earn far more in a public school. Furthermore, the three of us who will not be teaching next year used the past two years not only to try and make our mark in Catholic schools, but to discern vocations to religious life. With seven of us continuing with our decisions to have our Catholic faith as a centerpiece of who we are and what we do, it seems clear to me that the last two years have affected us as much or more so than we can hope to have affected our students.
All that being said I cannot help but use this as an opportunity to thank all of those who make this program what it has been, what it is, and what it will become. Therefore my thanks go out to Molly Davies, my classmates and friends in Cohort 6 (Joe Elliot, John Roselle, Rob Kinney-Walker, Jen War, Jen Toplikar, and Chris Start), our schools, the benefactors who make the program possible, Creighton University in particular the Education Department, and the teachers who came before us and after us. Thank you also to all those who I have neglected to mention. I am not sure it would be possible to truly acknowledge all who work hard to make this program what it is.
God bless-
Jeff Dorr, Magis Cohort 6 & 2009 Graduate